Radar Detectors?

[AeroCleanse]

Re: Radar Detectors?

Yeah...RamAirV1 loves his too.

Do you have one yourself? How do you like the indicators?

Tim

I don't have one currently, but I have owned two in the past. The arrows are one of the best features, besides the best range.

[MyFirstES300]

Re: Radar Detectors?

Also, it depends on what state you live in. In some states, radar detectors are illegal and if you have one in your possession, it can be confiscated or you can be fined.

[Deaner5]

Re: Radar Detectors?

It was pointed out to me several years ago when I went to Missouris' police academy. The people who put out the radar detectors are the same ones that are making the radars for the police. So as soon as you buy the newest version of radar detectors, the companies have already ut out something newer for the police, or soon after, they put out the latest radar detector. Best advice from a former police officer, drive within 5mph. of the posted speed limit and then you can save your money on speeding tickets, and a radar detector that will be outdated within a few months, if you are lucky, a year maybe two.

This is a good point and while I know that police forces would always want the best, can they really afford it. I travel on a decently busy interstate and I used to see 2-3 State Troopers a trip (one way). With Minnesota being in a $6.4 billion dollar budget deficit, I can't imagine they are spending money on new radar, let alone payroll for the Troopers. But yes like most technology, you have to worry about getting outdated.

I have a cheap Whislter something or another that works pretty well even though it is older. I also know the stretch of roads that I speed on pretty well, not that I am encouraging it, but anything over 15 and you are probably asking for trouble. I will go 70 in a 55 or when passing 85 in a 70, but all bets are off over that.

Like anything in life, you have to be smart about it and weight the risks and rewards. Just remember to be and stay safe.

[miahjohn]

Re: Radar Detectors?

A radar detector will tell you that your caught and are going to get a speeding ticket. thats it!

If a p/o see's a radar detector its a garuanteed ticket. why not just drive the speed limit? or 5-7 over? you will not get there any faster anyhow?

Speed Kills!

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Radar Detectors?

Well a nice feature is that the po po runs around with their radar on so you know where there are.
I have mine as far up on the windshield, I get up to a quarter mile alarm and that has saved me thousands!
There is no way they can even confirm that it's me speeding or not.
So I advise you to mount them as high as you can, also hides it from them. Shhhhhh.

[saturn2]

Re: Radar Detectors?

http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/agm-88a.jpg

No more pesky radar just point and shoot.

Or buy a C-4 and up Corvette. Read about in Corvette from the the Inside Pg.112
The Radiator is tilted back at 15 degrees for a lower Radar cross section. Most cars get picked up at 3,000 ft the Corvette gets picked up at 1,500 ft. Lockeed did the wind tunnel test. And as you know they made this crazy thing.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/F-117_Nighthawk_Front.jpg

[xantonin]

Re: Radar Detectors?

A radar detector will tell you that your caught and are going to get a speeding ticket. thats it!

If a p/o see's a radar detector its a garuanteed ticket. why not just drive the speed limit? or 5-7 over? you will not get there any faster anyhow?

Speed Kills!

Had to resist....

[3Fitty]

Re: Radar Detectors?

Some thoughts that I think have been missed.

1. First things first. You need to understand what you're facing out there (in terms of radar detection) to pick the best choice. Cops in the U.S. use three sources of RADAR (as distinguished from LASER - which I'll get to later). The three bands are X, K, and KA. X used to be the staple, but is now only used by one State Police force in the US (NJ). K is the most widely used Radar gun in America right now, but is slowly being supplanted by KA. So, when you are talking about radar detectors, it is most useful to talk about K and KA detection.

2. Detector detectors??? If you live in one of the few States that make detectors illegal (or in Canada - where they are illegal in most provinces - but not all), then your best choice is the Bel STI Driver. It is the ONLY detector on the market which is truly invisible to detector detectors. It has excellent detection range (for Radar) and won't give you up with cops looking for radar detectors.

3. The ones I've tested. I've owned three detectors in my time... Escort 8500, 8500 X-50 and the 9500i. I've also used and tested the Valentine One for a three month period. Simply put, for pure RADAR detection, the V1 is pretty tough to beat. In my tests, the V1 beat all of my Escorts on X and K band testing but lost (slightly) on KA. X actually mattered to me, since I lived in NJ, but it won't matter to most. Having said that, if my life depended on what I thought had the best range, my nod would go with the V1. HOWEVER, what I hate about the V1 is the constant falsing. The 9500i is truly superior in this department. With it GPS based "false cancelling" system, the 9500i offers you the performance which is close to the V1 without the falsing. The overall experience of the 9500i is superior to the V1.

4. The truth about detectors... this is the most important of all my points. The problem with detectors is not radar guns, it is laser guns. The cold hard fact is that if you've got a copy at 1000 feet away and he's pointing his LASER gun at your front plate, your detector is NOT going to catch him and if it does, it is simply going to tell you that you just got busted. The way detectors work, this that they catch radar signals which disperse everywhere (and bounce of trees and other cars). A radar beem at 1000 feet is something like 150ft in width (don't quote me on that number). However, a laser beem is like 18 inches at the same distance. Simply put, YOUR DETECTOR WON'T HELP YOU!!! Not at V1, not a 9500i, not an STI Driver not even Captain Kirk.

5. If you are a real speed demon and want TRUE protection, you've got to go all out. You need a Radar detector, laser veil and a laser jammer (illegal in about 12 States). If it were me and money was no object and I lived in the US, I'd get a Passport 9500ci + Laser Veil = about $1700.00 with tax and shipping. Then I'd speed my tush off.

6. You don't get a good detector setup to "save" on speeding tickets, you get it to save on the increase in insurance premiums.

7. I now live in Soviet Canuckistan (Ontario region), all detectors are illegal (not just use, but possession).

[xantonin]

Re: Radar Detectors?

I thought LIDAR jammers, as well as Radar jammers, are illegal in all 50 states?

Detecting signals is legal in most, but interfering with a controlled government device is an FCC violation as far as I know.

[3Fitty]

Re: Radar Detectors?

Oh, one last thing I forgot to mention for all the speed lovers. Having lived in the northeast for a long time, I did a bit of research on the whole speeding ticket thing and I'll give you some law in NY State and NJ.

State Trooper in NY sees a guy in I-87 (south of Albany), driving really fast (northbound). He's on an over pass and radios ahead to another trooper up the road and tells him this guy is bombing down the road. First cop estimates his speed to be 100mph in a 65mph zone. They guy's got a detector and before cop #2 can "tag" him with the gun, the guy slows down to about 70mph. Cop 2 pulls him over and copy 1 joins the scene and gives him a ticket for 100mph.

Guy fights the tickets. Cops admit they didn't "clock" him on the gun but that cop one was able to "estimate his speed based on his experience and the speed of the other cars".

Guy loses, cop wins. Ticket stands.

Guy appeals to the Appellate Division (3rd Department).

Guy loses.

Guy appeals to the Court of Appeals (highest Court in NY State). Guy loses.

Law in NY and NJ - Cop doesn't have to "clock you" or "pace you". All they have to do is "see you" and make a "judgment" on your speed. Like it or not, it's the law (in at least those two States).

[Maserati Mario]

Re: Radar Detectors?

I know their illegal in Cali.

[3Fitty]

Re: Radar Detectors?

I thought LIDAR jammers, as well as Radar jammers, are illegal in all 50 states?

Detecting signals is legal in most, but interfering with a controlled government device is an FCC violation as far as I know.

Laser Jammers and Radar Jammers are illegal in the states of Nebraska, Minnesota, Utah, California, Oklahoma, Virginia, Colorado, Illinois and Washington DC.

[agp423]

Re: Radar Detectors?

I live in NJ as well. If I get a radar detector AND a laser jammer (there's a film laser jammer that can be bought from RadarBusters), I will be safe right? (Assuming I don't do twice the speed limit).

[xantonin]

Re: Radar Detectors?

"Safe" is a tricky word.

You'll have an advantage, but only to some extent. Just don't be disappointed if you get a ticket. Cops don't always have their radar on.

A guy here in AZ has a radar detector but got pulled over by a cop, the officer said "I eyeball'd you at 90!"

He is going to fight the ticket and will likely win. But just giving you an example that cops can still pull you over. The real decision is decided in court.

[xantonin]

Re: Radar Detectors?

Laser Jammers and Radar Jammers are illegal in the states of Nebraska, Minnesota, Utah, California, Oklahoma, Virginia, Colorado, Illinois and Washington DC.

Could you link me to some documentation? I tried researching this earlier and my sources indicated otherwise... :/